Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Murdered Popular Teen Mourned

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Murdered Popular Teen Mourned: By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 30- A popular student from Walton High School was shot and killed near St. James Park. According ...

Murdered Popular Teen Mourned

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 30- A popular student from Walton High School was shot and killed near St. James Park.

According to police, it was just after 9 p.m. on October 23, when officers responded to a call of a male shot outside of 2622 Jerome Avenue, in the Bedford Park section.

The victim, identified by police as Michael Beltre, 17, of Washington Avenue, had reportedly been shot one time in the face and was pronounced dead at St. Barnabas Hospital.

Friend's say Beltre, a junior at Walton, had arrived in the Bronx just two short years ago from the Dominican Republic.

Police say Beltre was speaking to two individuals just steps away from McDonald's, when one of the two men pulled the gun and shot him.

The following day a large crowd of Beltre's friends were busy setting up a memorial for the young man, when police asked the teens to move it so a store owner could open her nail salon.

The store owner had recently been closed after part of the building's facade collapsed. On this day she would first have to scrub-down the dried blood left on the sidewalk.

At the new vigil, across the street from St. James Park, where Beltre could often be found playing basketball, one young mourner, offered, "He was a sweetheart. He had no enemies, no problems and he loved McDonald's."

Friends can not explain what happened or who did it.

Coincidentally, the morning after Beltre's brutal death, the annual breakfast of the 52nd Precinct Community Council was held just two short blocks from where the teen was shot.

Outgoing Deputy Inspector Joseph Dowling stated, "That's currently under investigation. I was at the scene with the detectives, but I can't give you any details because it's an ongoing investigation."

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Murdered Popular Teen Mourned

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Murdered Popular Teen Mourned: By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 30- A popular student from Walton High School was shot and killed near St. James Park. Accordi...

Murdered Popular Teen Mourned

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 30- A popular student from Walton High School was shot and killed near St. James Park.

According to police, it was just after 9 p.m. on October 23, when officers responded to a call of a male shot outside of 2622 Jerome Avenue, in the Bedford Park section.

The victim, identified by police as Michael Beltre, 17, of Washington Avenue, had reportedly been shot one time in the face and was pronounced dead at St. Barnabas Hospital.

Friend's say Beltre, a junior at Walton, had arrived in the Bronx just two short years ago from the Dominican Republic.

Police say Beltre was speaking to two individuals just steps away from McDonald's, when one of the two men pulled the gun and shot him.

The following day a large crowd of Beltre's friends were busy setting up a memorial for the young man, when police asked the teens to move it so a store owner could open her nail salon.

The store owner had recently been closed after part of the building's facade collapsed. On this day she would first have to scrub-down the dried blood left on the sidewalk.

At the new vigil, across the street from St. James Park, where Beltre could often be found playing basketball, one young mourner, offered, "He was a sweetheart. He had no enemies, no problems and he loved McDonald's."

Friends can not explain what happened or who did it.

Coincidentally, the morning after Beltre's brutal death, the annual breakfast of the 52nd Precinct Community Council was held just two short blocks from where the teen was shot.

Outgoing Deputy Inspector Joseph Dowling stated, "That's currently under investigation. I was at the scene with the detectives, but I can't give you any details because it's an ongoing investigation."

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Tough Questions for 52nd Pct.’s New Commanding Off...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Tough Questions for 52nd Pct.’s New Commanding Off...: Officer Injured in Norwood Pellet-Gun Shooting By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 30- An early morning pellet-gun shooting has lef...

Tough Questions for 52nd Pct.’s New Commanding Officer

Officer Injured in Norwood Pellet-Gun Shooting

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 30- An early morning pellet-gun shooting has left one police officer with a minor hand injury and a suspect was injured climbing over a fence-- after an early morning incident on Rochambu Avenue in Norwood.

According to Deputy Inspector Joseph Dowling, the officer was shot in the hand by a pellet-gun as the officer struggled with a suspect that took place in the rear courtyard of 3133 Rocambeau Avenue at sometime after 4 a.m. on October 25.

A small army of police as well as tactical units converged on the area and at least one suspect, possibly two are currently in police custody.

The 52^nd Precinct, which has seen a noticeable up tick in crime and violent incidents such as this shooting, is currently in a transition as Deputy Inspector Nilda Hoffman was recently named commanding officer of the precinct that covers Norwood, Bedford Park and Fordham.

Dowling was on scene of this shooting and also attended that morning's Annual 52^ndPrecinct Community Council Breakfast.

At about the same time, Hoffman was at 1 Police Plaza where she attended a ceremony where she was promoted to Inspector, apparently one of the perks that come with her new command.

Ironically, the breakfast was held at Monroe College on Jerome Avenue, 2 short blocks from where a popular 17-year-old Walton High School student was shot to death the previous Wednesday evening.

At the breakfast, Dowling stated, "This morning's incident, the officers were investigating some individuals, they were alerted to the fact that one of the individuals was in possession of a firearm. They stopped two individuals as he went to stop one of them,  he drew a firearm from his person."

Dowling continued,"One of the officers felt the danger with him pulling out what appeared to him to be a gun... he discharged one round and did not strike the perpetrator or any innocent victims."

Police say the suspect was carrying a pellet-gun that looked like a real, "Desert Eagle," handgun. Sources say that officer suffered a minor hand injury and is believed to have been transported to North Central Bronx Hospital. The still-unidentified suspect suffered a leg in jury as he scaled a fence, he was treated at Montefiore Hospital.

Woman, 79, Shot Near Yankee Stadium

(Photo by David Greene)

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 29- A 79-year old woman is recovering after being shot along E. 153 Street. 

Police say the unintended victim was walking along a courtyard with her grandchild when the gunfire began at 3:45 p.m. on Monday, October 28. Police were looking for the gunman, who was wearing a hooded jacket and fled in an SUV, believed to be a silver Volkswagen. 

Detectives were using surveillance video to identify the gunman, but police have no suspects at this time.